Kimkim Trip Reviews

We enjoyed touring Rome with Maria. She was very knowledgeable and interesting as she explained the history and pertinent details of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Vittoriano Monument, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, and Vatican. The Hotel Raffaello was a beautiful and quiet hotel that was centrally located in a safe neighborhood. We enjoyed the breakfasts at the hotel and were treated well by the hotel staff. Our rooms were clean, spacious, and comfortable. The small shower was the only challenge we encountered.
We loved our trip to the Amalfi Coast. Luigi picked us up at the Naples Train Station to drive us to Amalfi, and he is a safe driver who is kind and easy to talk to. On the way, we stopped at Pompeii for a tour with Antonio. We enjoyed him very much. He explained everything so well, but was also hilarious in doing so with lots of laughs and jokes throughout.
We arrived at La Bussola hotel in Amalfi and loved our stay here with a beautiful view of the coastline and harbor. We loved our boat trip to the island of Capri and had a wonderful captain who informed us of the various landmarks along the coast and would drive the boat up into caves and grottos so we could get a better look. The island of Capri is beautiful and our only complaint is the lines were so long with people waiting on cabs, buses, or tram tickets to get to the city center. It seemed like everyone had arrived at the island at the same time, and the accommodations for transportation were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people. We ended up just renting some beach chairs and enjoying the sea because it was such a hot day, instead of traveling to the city center. If we come back and it's possible, we'd like to have our tickets to the tram ahead of time so we don't spend hours waiting in line on the island.
Our free day on the Amalfi coast was spent enjoying the beach. We rented chairs with umbrellas and enjoyed cooling off in the water and skipping rocks.
Thank goodness for Andrea! There was a train strike on the day we were supposed to travel from Naples to Rome, and then Florence. Andrea arranged for our driver, Fabio, to pick us up at our hotel and then drive us to Rome to drop off our sons, who were flying home the next day. Fabio then drove us to Florence. He was a safe driver who did so well managing the steep and curving road leaving Amalfi, even though the roads were slippery and wet. We were really grateful that he drove us all that way, knowing he had had a long day starting from and returning to Naples.
Florence was beautiful, and we were grateful our guide, Lucia, was able to get us in to see the David sculpture at the Academia Gallery. There was some question that this might not be possible due to the strike. We walked around Florence, and she did a great job of detailing the history and landmarks of this marvelous city. The next day we rented a car and drove to Pisa and throughout the Tuscan region to see the beautiful countryside. Driving outside of Florence was easy, but it was a little nerve wracking trying to leave Florence and avoid the no-auto zones. We hope we did it right, and dont' receive a surprise ticket sometime in the future.
We took the train to Venice the next day and met our guide Natasha for our behind-the-scenes Venice tour and Cinchetti. We enjoyed this walking tour so much and Natasha was a fantastic guide teaching us about the history and interesting landmarks of Venice. We, especially loved St. Mark's Square and the view from the bell tower. The next day we cooked with Gioia in her private apartment, and made homemade Tiramisu and pasta with tomato/bell pepper sauce. It was delicious, and we enjoyed talking with Gioia and learning more about Venice and Italian culture. We took a gondola ride later in the day, and then rode the water ferry to tour Venice.
We returned to Rome by train the next day, and took a walking tour to see the famous sites once again. This time, we took the lift on the Vittoriano Monument to see the city from above. Well worth it, even though we climbed many, many steps.
Our driver picked us up the next day and took us to the airport, and we headed back to Texas.
Andrea did a wonderful job in planning our trip. He picked wonderful hotels and we really enjoyed our personal guides. We were so grateful for his personal attention before and during our trip, letting us know when schedules were altered, and arranging a car with driver for us when we couldn't use the train. Italy is a beautiful country with so much to see and do. We look forward to returning soon!

Hotel Reviews

Ca' Pozzo Inn

Venice

We loved our quiet hotel in a good central location.

Authenticity & Character

Modern and neat room with plenty of space.

Location

Staff

Very kind and helpful staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Il Guelfo Bianco

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel La Bussola

Amalfi

We loved the breakfast buffet with so many wonderful choices. The upstairs bar area was so comfortable and inviting. Our balcony view was spectacular.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We loved the view of the coastline and harbor and were in easy walking distance to the shops and restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our rooms were clean, comfortable, and spacious.

Raffaello Hotel Rome

Roma

We enjoyed our stay at this lovely and conveniently located hotel. Our only criticism is the very small shower. The ladies that served and worked the breakfast buffet were so exceptional. They kept everything neat, tidy, and well-supplied, and were so kind and helpful each morning.

Authenticity & Character

The decor seemed appropriate for the age and period of the building.

Location

We enjoyed that we were in walking distance to many great restaurants and sites.

Staff

Very helpful at the desk and with the breakfast buffet.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our rooms were nice and cool with comfortable beds.

Activity Reviews

Cooking Class

Italy

Loved getting to see a local's apartment and visiting with Gioia as we cooked.

Quality of Experience

Loved getting to make Tiramisu and homemade pasta!

Food

Delicious!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gioia is very knowledgeable and kind. Her home is lovely, and our lunch was delicious.

Hidden Venice and cicchetti experience

Italy

Loved seeing areas of Venice that were less familiar.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Natasha was great! Very informative and interesting.

Florence private guided walk including Accademia Gallery

Italy

Florence is beautiful with so many wonderful sites to see! Most things were in easy walking distance.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lucia was easy to listen to and so informative! Great job!

Transport

Day trip to Capri Island from The Amalfi Coast - small group

Italy

This was our favorite day because we loved being on the water and the coastline is so beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Loved the water, coastline, and island. Got to see the coast up close with our captain driving the boat into some caves.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

He pointed out local landmarks and drove the boat to interesting points along the coast and island.

Transport

Loved the boat ride - safe and relaxing

Pompeii ruin visit with a private guide

Italy

We loved Pompeii. Amazing archeaological site! Antonio was fun and humorous as he educated us in Pompeii's history, archaeology and culture.

Quality of Experience

So cool to see this amazing city preserved throughout the centuries by volcanic ash.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Loved Antonio's sense of humor and instruction method. He does a great job!

Transport

Luigi was a kind and safe driver. Enjoyed talking to him and learning more about Italy!

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel - private guide

Rome

We loved seeing this amazing city and country! What a beautiful and holy area! The amazing artwork and architecture were exceptional.

Quality of Experience

Wonderful tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great job Maria on educating us about the Vatican!

Transport

We took a cab, and our driver was aggressive. We arrived safely after a thrilling ride!

Colosseum and Roman Forum - Private guide

Rome

Loved the amazing history of this area!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rome Private Guided Walk

Rome

So much detailed history. Maria was kind, professional, and thorough in her explanations.

Quality of Experience

Loved the history and beautiful architecture.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Seeing so many sights

This is the 3rd time we've used Kimkim for our travels and it was a bit disappointing. Our first hotel, the Casual Belle Epoque was supposedly 4 star and it should have been a 3. The room, the breakfast, it just was not a 4 star hotel. The last day we came in and the room smelled of sewage. We contacted Marina and said we would like a different hotel for our last night in Lisbon but it was going to be yet more money and a cancellation fee.
The drivers were another issue. We had a day excusion to Sintra, Cascais & Estoril with a guide/driver named Paulo. We felt we were being hustled the entire time. He had us go to this port wine place for a tasting in Sintra. Obviously he had an interest there as he was pouring samples for people. Somehow we let them talk us into buying a way overpriced bottle of port (we later learned from an actual winery owner in the Douro Valley that we were scammed). Then he wanted us to go to this specific restaurant on the coast, near Cascais. We went in and waited then decided we simply didn't want to wait and left to walk the beach. He wanted to know what happened, why did we leave, clearly he had an interest there too.
We had another driver take us from Lisbon to Porto via Coimbra. The problem here was the driver spoke no english and did not understand we had a 3 hour stop in coimbra. We had to call our Kim kim consultant Marina, she had to call him, then we got it straightened out. Problem two arose because he got lost in Porto trying to find our hotel. Heavy traffic, he had a hotel in his phone with the same name but it was in a different city and he could not get the phone to refresh. We pulled up the address in our phone for him, then changed the language to portuguese, all the while he's trying to drive in rush hour traffic, it was not fun. We called Marina and requested english speaking drivers and she said she couldn't guarantee that as they were just there to get us from point A to point B. Well that's not exactly true when he had no idea about our scheduled side trip to Coimbra and he gets lost trying to find our hotel.
We did a day trip to the Douro Valley which was nice. The driver we had for this was Rui, very nice and did a good job. We had told Marina that we did not want to do this riverboat ride down the Douro River, just not our thing. She insisted and said "everyone does this". We told her in another conversation we didn't want to do this. At that point we assumed we had to because it must be the way to get us from one destination to another, it wasn't. It was simply a riverboat ride up and down the river in a packed boat in the pouring rain. We would not have had to do this at all. It made us wonder, she must get a kick back from putting us on the boat.
Our last day in the Porto we had a fantastic guide, Sandra, she was informative, fun and was the kind of guide we were used to getting when booking with Kimkim.
The only time Marina was in contact with us (not including the many times we had to contact her with problems with drivers, etc) was the night before our departure. This certainly was unlike any other trip we've done with you before. This trip was our most expensive and the least well run, we're very disappointed.

We have returned to London after a trip of a lifetime in Iceland. We wanted to say a huge thank you to Lisbet and the team for such an unforgettable holiday. Iceland is so breathtakingly beautiful and unique; we were lucky to have your experience and guidance to help us enjoy it! We’re both well-travelled but had never used a service like Kim Kim’s until now and we know that without your expert guidance, planning and speedy assistance, we wouldn’t have gotten as much out of Iceland had we planned the trip on our own. Your help in planning the days so we got the most out of it was excellent. Every day was packed with lots of activities and options yet felt nicely balanced. You also adapted quickly when we asked for adjustments or when we felt like we needed a break.

Asking us to pick the most memorable spots is probably like asking someone to pick a favourite child, but off the top of our heads our favourites were: Studlagil Hike, Reykladur Hike + warm river, glacier kayaking, glacier hiking, and Myvatn Nature Baths. The driving was also amazing, but like I say too many places to list!

Hotel Reviews

Berjaya Hotel Mývatn

Mývatn

The favourite hotel of the bunch of one of the two travellers. Loved just how stylish everything was, the breakfast was superb, and the room to me just felt like it had the most style/character of the bunch. Only wish is that it was perhaps slightly bigger.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great - very easy and quick drive to all of the main points of interest in the area.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Hallormsstadur

Egilsstadir

Great place all around!

Authenticity & Character

Room lacked a bit of character but was very comfortable!

Location

Added bonus here - forest walks possible right from the hotel!

Staff

Receptionist and restaurant staff were the loveliest, most helpful people!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Laugarbakki

Laugarbakki

Great all around, loved the very large room and windows to be able to take in the views outside! Useful as a kind of halfway point between Akuyreri and Reykjavik

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nearest we could tell, this place largely trades on being halfway between Akuyreri and Reykjavik. That was useful for us as a stopping off point!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Brunnhóll Country Guesthouse

Höfn

A lovely spot full of character and with great amenities. Great service from staff and nearby to some small baths facilities !

Authenticity & Character

One can tell that this place grew up as a family-run business. Felt very homely, yet stylish and without sacrificing anything on the amenities front.

Location

Just off the ring road, but might be better if it was slightly closer to Hofn. We found we had to backtrack to the hotel after visiting Hofn.

Staff

Extra bonus points for telling us where to find a particular kind of beer in Hofn !

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Duus

Reykjanesbær

This was a lovely place to stay and, relative to the other places we stayed, had the bonus of having a couple of "airport hotel" amenities, such as a shuttle to the airport (which we did not use) and breakfast from as early as 4 am (which we definitely did use, as our flight was at 8:30 am). Also liked having the adjacent cafe as our own breakfast room for the early breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Room definitely felt like it was converted from areas initially made for other purposes, so the layout was a bit strange, but there's nothing really of substance to fault here!

Location

Very quick drive to the airport as well as main points of interest in Keflavik.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Klaustur

Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Great all around. The room was perhaps not as full of character as the other places we stayed, but very comfortable and clean. Probably the best breakfast of the lot of hotels we stayed at :D Also had cool design in the reception/lobby area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Fine - close enough to the ring road and nothing much we were going to see in the nearby town anyway, so proximity to highway was what really mattered here.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Greenhouse Hotel

Hveragerdi

Superb spot to spend our first two nights in Icleand, and the favourite of the bunch for one of the two travellers. Especially appreciated the roominess, staff, and location. Very stylish, too!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Super convenient - one of the few places that was proper walking distance to useful things like a bakery, other restaurants, etc.

Staff

Just wonderful - even gave us free sandwiches when were at a loss where to get dinner one night!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Myvatn Nature Baths

Lake Mývatn

We did this at the end of a long, wonderful day and it was just spectacular. So many delightful moments, from getting a beer from a bar on the lagoon itself, to resting while leaning on a rock (putting beer on said rock) and admiring the sunset over the lake in the distance. Totally dreamy.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Solheimajokull Glacier Hike

Iceland

Amazing experience and unique to be able to hike a glacier also covered with volcanic ash/dirt! Unforgettable stuff :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Provided a lot of great information around what made this glacier experience unique

Transport

Nothing much to comment on here - we drove ourselves to the starting point and otherwise it was a walk from the check-in to the glacier.

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon Kayaking Tour

Iceland

One of the absolute highlights of the journey and something I have never experienced elsewhere. Just an amazing experience coupled with top-notch service.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nothing to improve! Guide was very clear, witty, and informative.

Transport

Not much to comment on here, as we drove ourselves to the activity and there was a walk from the check-in to the kayaking jumping off point.

We just returned from the Middle East, visiting Israel, Jordan and Egypt. Kim Kim handled the Jordan/Egypt portion. It was an amazing experience. We visited Wadi Rum (The Desert, with beautiful landscapes), Petra, and Amman. We were originally scheduled to go in March 2020, so of course that didn't happen. We had a whole itinerary laid out. It was re-scheduled and canceled twice more due to Covid. During that time, Sarah, who was most helpful, left Kim Kim, and we were handed off to Nada. Nada worked so hard, dealing with airline schedule changes to change the itinerary. I believe this happened three different times, but every time, Nada came thru. Our driver in Jordan the first two days was Bayan, and he was funny and friendly and showed us the sites as we drove thru Jordan. We spent the first night in a Bedouin Camp in the desert, and while rustic, it was beautiful and everything we expected (including Air Conditioning and a full bath!) The next day we were taken to Petra where the sites are just incredible. Buildings carved right into the mountainside. We were escorted thru the Petra site with a guide named Basil, who was very friendly and learned, and explained how the people (The Nabateans) here lived and worked. Then we were driven to Amman, where because of flight delays, we asked the driver to show us a little of the city before taking us to the airport. He (Ali) was most accomodating, and we saw the Blue Mosque, and the Citidel, a fort built by the Romans 2000 years ago. Then we flew to Egypt

In Egypt, we were met at the airport, taken thru security and had a car (driven by Mustafa) take us to our hotel. We were supposed to have a dinner cruise on the Nile, but couldn't make it because of flight delays. No worries, Nada rescheduled it for the next night. Mustafa and our guide Ibrihim picked us up the next day and took us to the Pyramids, Sphinx and the Egyptian Museum of Civilization. A wonderful place with many artifacts some as old as 35000 years. It also had mummies, some were 5000 years old. An Ibrihim explained it all. Very cool. That night we had our dinner cruise on the Nile, which was a lot of fun.

The last day we saw the Alabaster Mosque and the Hanging Church, and learned of their historical significance. Another wonderful day. At midnight, Mustafa was back to pick us up and take us to the airport.

The things to take away from this is
1. For 2+ years and two local specialists, Kim Kim organized and re-organized the perfect tour designed just for us.

2. The Drivers and Guides were friendly, kept us safe, kept us informed to changes along the way, and truly added to the value and enjoyment of our trip. We feel most fortunate that we had them with us.

3. Most of all Nada, our specialist was a great asset. She helped us with finalizing things, suggesting changes, and setting everything up. And as I said this was over the course of 2+ years.
Everyting worked. We were never stuck, and we always had someone with us.

We HIGHLY recommend Kim Kim Tours, and Nada in particular. We will certainly use them again

Everything was seamless. Harris is an amazing local
Specialist! Drivers were always on time and courteous. The only struggle was the train from Rome to Naples - but it’s only because the train system is a bit nutty and we’re new.

We loved our tours with LivTours as well. We suggest the Vatican and Colosseum tour with them. Six people max for each tour. So you really get a chance to ask questions and hear what’s going on.

We really liked the location of our hotel in Rome (Campo de Fiori) although we would have preferred to stay in the main part of the hotel instead of the apartment. Excellent breakfast in a really beautiful hotel.

Our time in Sorrento was lovely. The hotel was very uniquely located - down on the beach at the Marina - and the view was fantastic.

The hotel was very nice and the staff were excellent! Marina Picolla 73. I wasn’t sure at first, the beach isn’t swimmable out front because it’s a marina - but the beach clubs were a quick walk. And this hotel is in a quiet area compared to the hustle and bustle up top in town. We needed a quieter place to come back to. If you like the busyness of the square, you might prefer a hotel up top.

There’s a lift to get you up there, staff will fill you in on this.

Again, the tours were very good. We took an all day boat tour of the Amalfi Coast (8 hours stopping at Amalfi and Positano and then a swim). It was great, but a bit long. The boat was overcrowded and we were told we needed to lie down on the bow of the boat while in transit so the captain could see. That wasn’t ok with us - so we figured out a way to prop ourselves up. The boat wasn’t comfortable and there were too many of us. That was a miss. But we do suggest a trip down the coast.

Also a few hours on Capri is a must. The ferry is an easy ride. Expect LOTS of people everywhere. We were definitely peopled-out by the end of our time in Italy.

There is a lot of walking to be done in Italy. Bring comfortable shoes.

A home run by Harris. Both Greece and Italy were well organized and everything met and exceeded our hopes and expectations.

Hotel Reviews

Boutique Hotel Campo de' Fiori

Rome

The location of this hotel, right in the market is fantastic. The roof top terrace is wonderful! The main hotel is absolutely stunning with so much character and charm. We didn’t see the rooms in the main hotel because we had booked a suite. Oddly, the suites are in a different beholding across the square. And that building deserves a 3/5. While it was nice to have a bit more space, the suite lacked character and charm. The three flights up to our room were ridiculous and the lighting in the place meant we did the stairs with our phone flashlights. If you have any mobility issues at all this part of the hotel is not for you. Honestly, it was very frustrating. No real view and located in a dirty back alley. Limited hot water was also a problem. The bed was comfortable though, which is important to us. Breakfast was held in the basement of the main hotel and it was excellent. A beautiful building and perfectly located. While we recommend this hotel, we advise against the suites in the other building.

Authenticity & Character

The main building is lovely. The suites lacked character or convenience.

Location

Right in the market. So much to do and see.

Staff

Pleasant. Professional.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel was clean. Access to and from our suite was uncomfortable.

Marina Piccola 73

Sorrento

Liked the location and the staff were excellent. Food was quite good. Silly rules about not being able to drink our own wine on the rooftop terrace. Room was quite nice. But the bed was very uncomfortable. Kind of like sleeping on concrete and made for some very long nights. A hotel in this price point should have better beds. We wouldn’t stay here again because of the beds.

Authenticity & Character

A really unique and lovely hotel.

Location

Unique location away from the busyness of the main area of Sorrento.

Staff

Helpful and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

While it was clean, the bed was very uncomfortable. This is a huge miss on the part of the hotel.

Activity Reviews

Amalfi Coast Boat Tour From Sorrento

Sorrento

Quite a pretty tour of the coast. Adequate time in each location.. The boat was too small for our group. And it was an uncomfortable 8 hours.

Quality of Experience

Smaller group.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lovely staff.

Transport

Bigger boats or less people per trip.

Vatican Guided Tour

Rome

Maria was amazing! This tour was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colosseum & Roman Forum Tour

Rome

Excellent. A must do! Our tour guide Juicey was amazing! Wear very comfortable shoes and be prepared for weather.

Quality of Experience

Easy to find out tour guide. Excellent information.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Professional and pleasant.

Transport

We walked to and from this tour from our hotel.

Robi was an incredible guide who went above and beyond to make sure we had an unforgettable week in Croatia. He's funny and light-hearted, friendly, experienced, and very knowledge about the local history and ecology. He worked incredibly hard to make sure we had the experience we wanted, and was very flexible to accomodate things we wanted to do or change. He knows a lot of people, including wine makers and restaurant owners, and will take you to hidden gems that you would never have found on your own. Really a phenomenal person and guide to spend a week with.

Sarah helped navigate our girlfriends trip through Croatia-starting in Split, stopping in Hvar and ending in Dubrovnik. She lined up transportation from airports, hotels and excursions. She stream-lined our vacation so we could enjoy all our requested sites. Marco was a fun Skipper that took us on an island tour and diving into a blue cave. Especially loved our wine tour in Hvar at Matkovic winery. Croatian people are so kind and respectfully and very proud of their heritage. It was a fun and inspiring trip.
Debbie Dean

Hotel Reviews

Adriana Hvar Spa Hotel

Hvar

Bathrooms were quite small and tight and room needed more light. Location was awesome and beds were comfy. Roof top bar was fantastic.

Authenticity & Character

Harbor location and view of yachts and boats

Location

Proximity to shops and fortress

Staff

Helpfulness with luggage and directions.

Cornaro Hotel

Split

Delicious breakfast and relaxing rooftop bar.

Authenticity & Character

Pictures in hallways

Location

Walking distance to sights, shopping and sea

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Bellevue Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

Beautiful views an relaxing setting. Great location to nearby downtown and historic fortress.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Proximity to Game of Thrones Walking tours

Staff

Friendly helpful staff, offered directions and suggestions

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Game of Thrones Tour

Dubrovnik

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hvar Wine Tasting Excursion

Hvar

Our driver was super funny and friendly. He shared his island knowledge and ancestry.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

His enthusiasm

Transport

Clean vehicle

Plitvice Lakes National Park

Split

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Motor Boat Excursion to Brač & the Pakleni Islands (end in Hvar)

Split

Marco was an intelligent guide and good entertainer.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My 60th birthday bucket list trip was spectacular! Johanna, Edwin, Miguel and guide Valeriano all made us feel welcome and looked after us like honoured guests. The sites we visited were breath taking and beautiful. Machupicchu, Rainbow Mountains, Maras salt flats and Incan ruins to name a few were the highlights of our trip. All of our hotels were lovely , very comfortable and full of Peruvian flair and hospitality. Gotta try the Guinea pig!!!!

What an amazing trip. We were cared for in the most expeditious and courteous manner. We opted for the 10 day Luxury trip from Casablanca to Marrakech and back to Casablanca with a private driver. Faysel was our driver for 9 of the 10 days. He was fun! He stopped as we needed rest room breaks, kept us informed regarding all the places we were heading to, had a clean and comfortable vehicle. He played Moroccan modern music for us but also was kind enough to let us play our plethora of tunes and listen to our less than perfect singing the entire trip. He never let us touch our luggage. He loaded it and unloaded it. He was a very skilled driver, able to adapt as needed to the often times busy and crazy road conditions, but also smooth enough that we fell asleep several times on our longer drives. He was very well connected and had a really good rapport with the local guides that directed our tours. It was evident from Day 1 that he loves his country and loves what he does and that type of attitude was infectious. What did we love about Morocco? Everything. The food, the cooking class, The Blue City, Fes, Meknes, The desert luxury camp, Sahara Desert camel ride, Atlas Mountains, Casablanca, Marrakech, medinas, souks, all of the massages that they scheduled for us, the personal tours, bypassing the long queues, treated like queens... Waters whenever we were thirsty, punctuality. The tour guides were top notch. We learned so much! The textiles you can buy in Morocco, OMG the quality is so good. Definitely exercise your bargaining skills and bring home beautiful heirlooms. Our second driver was Samir. He took gentle care of us. By our last few days we had several HEAVY purchases that needed to be loaded and unloaded into the car. We needed tape, and packing materials. He retrieved those for us. He also was a careful driver. Oh and let's not forget Mohamed that helped me to plan this trip and squeeze in every little whim and fancy. His hotel recommendations were above par. I needed more time but alas my work schedule wouldn't allow for more time but I definitely will be back and I will try my hardest to get Faysel as my driver again. Many thanks to Hanan my tour guide in Marrakech that made sure my custom made purchases made it to me before my departure. I loved Morocco and the friendships I formed here. Thank you Kim Kim for this ah-mazing experience.

I do not typically write reviews but in this case I wanted to give this review due to the excellent attention and friendship we have established with Mohamed “Yassine “ Taiebine. Yassine was always prompt, thinking ahead of our needs and provided daily insight to his Moroccan culture. Yassine’s car was roomy for our group of four and he kept it impeccably clean. He went over and above when there was a need to deviate from our plan and always without hesitation. Cannot imagine anyone better to take us around (4 older women) and felt safe the entire time especially with his driving abilities. He even took the time to teach us and “test” us on Arabic words in a fun way.

In addition to our friendship with Yassine we also had a wonderful guide, Hassin “Sassa” . His sense of humor made our experience with him in Marrakesh and Fes not only educational but fun ! Sassa’s historical knowledge was wonderful and he helped us understand the changes in the Moroccan culture over time. Together Yassine and Sassa made a great team!!

Sent from my iPhone

Activity Reviews

Traditional Cooking Class

Morocco

We made the best tasting lemon and olive chicken tagine we had on our entire trip in our class. Looking forward to receiving the recipes so I can bring a bit of Morocco to my US home. The tea service was very informative and opened my eyes about the use of different herbs and spices to make great tea. Staff was great !

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff was great !

Hammam Visit: Traditional Body Scrub

Morocco

A true experience !

Quality of Experience

Overnight in the Sahara Desert with Sunset Camel Ride

Morocco

The camel ride to our Sahara camp was the highlight of our trip. It was fun evening in the desert and very glad I was able to experience it .The tents were very comfortable and each with their own bathroom . Just a heads up the stray dogs in the middle of the desert are friendly and not there to harm you and bring a little battery operated fan rather than a jacket during the summer months.

Quality of Experience

Camel ride

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our camel herder was great and shared his experience of being raised as a beber.

Transport

Words cannot describe the experience we felt on this trip! This was our first time in Greece and first time we had traveled with Kimkim team. The company indeed specializes in an expert-led cultural tours in Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini. Our booking was easy, the information packet was timely and thorough. Many of our questions were answered timely and thoroughly. The itinerary was carefully thought out, combining leisure time with activity. The visits to the Acropolis Museum and our private tour guide to Acropolis Parthenon were fascinating and pointed out the most significant subject matter and explained their context and meaning. The walking sunset tour to Mykonos was also a big highlight for us, our tour guide did a wonderful job of sharing his knowledge, and funny as well. Our catamaran cruise was the best cruise we ever had; the crew staff were very professional, organized, friendly, and made sure we were safe. Hotel accommodations were excellent as far as cleanliness, location, and staff. The transfers from island to island were seamless and done with high class Mercedes vehicle. The food exceptionally superb, great Greek wine, and sweet treats. Nadia was fantastic! She was always available prior to our trip and during our trip. She went above and beyond to make sure my husband and I have the best wedding anniversary trip to Greece! Thank you so much to Nadia and Kimkim team for the best trip of a lifetime! We will definitely return!

Hotel Reviews

Kallisto Hotel

Santorini, Imerovigli

Fantastic! Very private and small hotel with 8 rooms only. The view from the hotel is out of this world! We were in a bigger room and had a stair leading up to the pool area. Close by the street for restaurants, supermarket, and a small cafe for excellent gyros with a 2 min walk from hotel. Our terrace is quite big on the Caldera side and have our own entrance to our room. The owner Marco was very helpful, friendly and gave us history about the hotel - very fascinating story of the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Very small hotel, very quaint, historical, and love the vintage look inside of our hotel room.

Location

Walking distance to restaurants, shops, supermarket, pharmacy. Although a bit far from Oia.

Staff

Very friendly, polite, and accommodating to our needs

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean, room temperature perfect. Wish they have coffee maker in the room.

The George Hotel

Mykonos

Beautiful rooms, view of the sea from our balcony. Great pools!

Authenticity & Character

Nice layout and architecture, great view from our balcony

Location

Not too far from Mykonos town and close to a beach area.

Staff

Friendly, always accommodating with our needs

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and room temperature was perfect!

Royalty Hotel Athens

Monastiraki, Athens

Very clean, a bit small but, adequate for 2 people. Location is excellent as it is very close by the shops, restaurants, and Acropolis Museaum, Parthenon.

Authenticity & Character

Small and quaint

Location

Close to shops, restaurants, cafes, Museums, Acropolis

Staff

Friendly and accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean room, room temperature perfect...not too cold and not too hot.

Activity Reviews

Santorini Full Day at Leisure

Santorini

Our leisure time, relaxation and walking through little town and shopping in nearby town.

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

Sunset Catamaran Caldera Blue Cruise!

Santorini

The best catamaran cruise we ever had! The crew staff were very friendly, polite, always taking care of us and made sure we were safe. I can't remember all their names but, Demetrius and Niko stood out as they were the ones we interacted with most. The lunch they provided was exceptional! very organized cruise indeed!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Restaurant Suggestions in Mykonos

Mykonos

Best seabass I've ever had at Rouvela in Mykonos town. We also loved Nikos for their fried calamari and big prawns.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Restaurant Suggestions in Santorini

Santorini

Food was fantastic! Great wine!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Santorini

Santorini

This is probably our favorite by far. Such beautiful island and the scenery are just magical!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mykonos Town Sunset Walking Tour

Mykonos

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Mykonos

Mykonos

Beautiful sunset walking tour...we enjoyed this walking tour. So much to see and the streets are so quaint and beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our tour guide (Niko) was friendly, very funny and very knowledgeable. He took us to some shortcuts to see the beautiful sunset away from the crowds at Little Venice. It was worth it!

Transport

Pick up time to our hotel was timely, good transportation vehicle (Mercedes) with another couple who had their own guided tour. The streets are narrow, so it was quite overwhelming with the drive but, our driver was exceptional and very experienced.

Athens Museums

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Again, walking distance from our hotel.

Acropolis Guided Tour

Athens

Fascinating tour! Our guided tour was very friendly, polite, very knowledgeable about history and she took time to answer our questions.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided tour was fantastic! She was a gem for sure! Sorry I can't remember her name.

Transport

Walking tour...great walking distance. We walked by our own pace.

Restaurants in Athens

Athens

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Athens!

Athens

Busy city but, manageable. Our hotel is close by to where we want to go and see/explore.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and knowledgeable.

Transport

Timely pick up time

Just returned from an amazing trip to Morocco. Everything from the itinerary, to our driver to all the guides was perfect. We are well traveled and had high expectations for our trip and were not disappointed. I especially like that we were able to customize our experience. Will be using kimkim again.

We had the most incredible trip to Iceland. 10/10, i can't really imagine anything going better. The process of working with Terry was super smooth and easy. I have never used any kind of agency or travel service before and think of myself as a good trip planner, but having the whole trip so thoughtfully planned with excellent, vetted services, hotels and guides saved us a ton of time and metal bandwidth. It totally exceeded my expectations. Terry was great about working within our budget to get us the best possible trip. Hiking around Skogafoss on a beautiful, rainbow filled day i think was my favorite experience, and we also loved our guided adventures snorkeling in Sifra and glacier hiking. We will definitely recommend KimKim to our friends and we hope to use it and work with Terry again for a future family trip to Iceland and other trips as well.

Hotel Reviews

Fosshotel Baron

Reykjavík

Small room but well decorated, quiet and in a great location downtown. we appreciated the free parking and another great icelandic breakfast. this was the only hotel we stayed at that had an in-room safe, which was nice for passports.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Klaustur

Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Clean and quiet rooms, daily housekeeping, friendly staff. Luxurious breakfast buffet. We really enjoyed it. We also used to hot tub at the city pool next door which was a nice amenity.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Guesthouse Flúðir - Grund

Hrunamannahreppur

Clean, comfortable and very quiet. Good location and great coffee in the AM.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

classic, amazing, lives up to the hype. Perfect ending before traveling home.

Quality of Experience

Breidamerkurjokull Glacier Walk, Ice Cave, Super Jeep

Iceland

incredible weather, incredible views. our guide Damian was helpful, safety conscious and knowledgeable. We even got to go into an ice cave early in the season.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Damian was great

Transport

super jeep ride was bumpy and wild but safe

Silfra Snorkeling

Iceland

truly magical experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

our guide, lorenzo, was great

The Secret Lagoon

Iceland

this was an awesome first afternoon in iceland activity to relax after jetlag.

Quality of Experience

The trip was great. The walking guide was fantastic, very informative. The parts I didnt like was that it was a lot of driving. And after seeing everything we did, the Norway in a nutshell was repetitive.
The hotels were really very well located in Oslo & Bergen.

Our trip to the Provence area was planned pre-pandemic. Kim Kim worked with us to plan and
delay the trip until September 2022. Initially Stephen was our planner, but Valentine ultimately was our planner for this past year. We liked the detailed itinerary and especially appreciated the variety of experiences we requested : historical visits, art experiences, with a blending of market and food experiences. The balance of busy days with free time worked well for us, as we could be spontaneous too. We will always appreciate our guides - Julian, Sophie, Gilles and Clare! They were very prompt and patient with our questions! All of them took us to markets and explained the various foods to us as we sampled the best of Provence! A real special experience was going to Gilles' lovely home to cook a fantastic meal and of course, enjoy eating together. Our accommodations were excellent and we felt at home especially in St Remy and Ferme de Belugues! Our hosts, Spencer and Karen were the best!

Hotel Reviews

Hôtel du Soleil & Spa 3*

St.-Remy-de-Provence

We were able to stay at this hotel right in the heart of St Remy de Provence for five beautiful days! We could walk to town and also to the Van Gogh walk exhibit - the location was perfect for our needs! Our room was small but very comfortable with a large tiled shower! The pool area was so convenient and we found time to relax there most days. The gracious concierge, Doris, answered our many questions! The breakfast area was outstanding with an array of items that varied and could only be described as fabulous!

Authenticity & Character

Charming all around!

Location

In the heart of St Remy!

Staff

Totally helpful and accommodating!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean towels and room are important!

La Ferme des Bélugues

Le Barroux

We had the pleasure of staying at this restored farmhouse! Karen and Spencer greeted us and gave us a tour of the lovely B& B! Our stay of two nights was idyllic and we could have stayed longer! The rooms were cozy and comfortable - spacious as well. There is a dedicated living area for guests with beer and wine available to purchase. Every question was answered in their lovely British accents. Breakfasts were customized to order and were delicious. The pool area was first class lovely! The hotel is in a quaint setting on a road that also may host the Tour de France in certain years. Many bicyclists rode by enjoying the hills and valleys!

Authenticity & Character

The B& B was an actual farmhouse that has been updated!

Location

A quiet setting in a picturesque area!

Staff

Karen and Spencer were the best!!!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Totally clean and pure comfort in all areas!

Activity Reviews

Lyon Food Tour: Halles Paul Bocuse & Old Town

Lyon

Our guide, Clare, made this experience a treasure! She was full of energy and information that she shared in a fun and meaningful manner! We toured the market area of Old Town and loved how Clare made everything fun. Our final experience at the Halles Paul Bocuse was delightful and could have been boring without Clare!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Clare made it a super experience! She gave us an appreciation of Lyon and its' history!

Art, Architecture & Wine: A Provencal Journey at Chateau la Coste

Aix-en-Provence

This experience was a surprise! We expected to see a vineyard, of course - and that was lovely! The fields were lush with grapes and our tasting at the end was pure joy! The combination of art and architetcure tour was off the charts gorgeous! Chateau la Coste was full of surprises as the tour went into the mountainside and back to the winery.

Quality of Experience

The setting and the many works of art!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very helpful

Food & Market Tour in Saint Rémy de Provence

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

Sophie was prompt and took us all around the town market! It could have been confusing because there were so many vendors - but she took us to the heart of the market. The clothing and variety of items were truly off the charts!

Quality of Experience

This market was unique and all over town - therefore Sophie helped us navigate!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sophie was patient and excellent - took time to answer questions!

Transport

She drove us to town and was most gracious!

Cooking class, Provencal lunch and local market tour in Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence

This experience included a visit to a winery and a wonderful cooking class with Gilles! He was very attentive and focused on the tour of the market and going to his home to cook was a highlight of our trip! He kept us busy with food preparation and the results were well worth it!

Quality of Experience

Everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Already said that Gilles was the guide and driver - super person all around!

Transport

The tour was excellent! But finding a place to park was a challenge!

A Taste of Avignon

Avignon

Julian took us on a tour of Avignon market with too many tastings to remember!! He was witty and full of energy as he explained each food item to us. At the end, we had a lovely picnic in a food market with an array of food and wine that was delicious!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Julian was excellent!

Christi’s-Wonderful trip-very well planned for our style of travel. Our guides and villa host were all fabulous. Mareo took such good care of us at the Kastro SuitesAll activities-sailing cruise,wine tasting with Bellos(couldn’t pronounce his real name)food tasting tour with Alex in Naxos.Everything went beautifully and we were always informed and had number to contact if we had questions or any issues.
Thanks for the great trip and we’ll use KimKim again

Hotel Reviews

Sweet Home Hotel

Athens

Great location and delicious breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ippokampos Beachfront Hotel

Naxos

The location is great!!! Able to walk to everything-or just go to beach across street!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kastro Suites Santorini

Santorini

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy to get anywhere

Staff

Amazing-friendly and helpful

Activity Reviews

Acropolis & Athens Mythology Tour

Athens

No one’s fault but very crowded and hot-our guide was great and very informative!

Quality of Experience

More shade 🤣

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Food tour in Naxos town

Naxos

Alex was amazing…So friendly and informative..This was a very intimate experience-gave us great respect for the culture and their wonderful foods

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Local Transfer in Naxos

Naxos

This was an amazing intimate food tour Alex was great and the locations and shops he took us were so informative and pleasant

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Caldera Sailing Cruise

Drama

Quality of Experience

Look

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wow! Words cannot quite articulate our experience- from conception to execution. As my father stated, it is extremely difficult to exceed your expectations and that is what Fabio curated for our trip! We had extremely short notice for a super in demand time of year to visit Rome, Sorrento & the Amalfi Coast. Each of our four hotels was absolutely perfect as far as cleanliness, location and staff - most notably our accommodations in the heart of Positano at the height of season! Every single private transfer was on time with exceptional and passionate knowledge to share everything about what we were seeing and the cities along the way. We never had any delays and had true 5 star treatment. The restaurants were fabulous and all of our tour guides in country were art historians whose knowledge was exceptional and made our visits truly noteworthy. We saw so much of Italy in 8 short days and still had time to relax and do our own thing- which can be a challenge when planning. It was my parents & I first trip to Italy and a process that can be so overwhelming to “see and do it all” and the right way was made so simple! Moving forward, there isn’t a doubt we wouldn’t use Fabio specifically for our next travels. He was always available, always going above and beyond prior to the trip and while in country. We felt safe and taken care of- like celebrities! Thank you so much to Fabio & Kim Kim for the trip of a lifetime!!

Hotel Reviews

Boutique Hotel Vespasiano

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palazzo Alabardieri Hotel Napoli

Naples

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Villa Magia Positano

Positano

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Aminta

Sorrento

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Full-Day Amalfi Coast & Capri Island Boat Excursion | Guided Capri

Italy

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highlights & Hidden Gems of Rome | Walking Tour

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self Guided Visit to the Colosseum & Roman Forum | Skip-the-Line Tickets

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour of the Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an amazing time visiting Madrid, Seville, Granada and Toledo. In each location, we loved having the local guides who provided so much insight into the history and beauty of each place. Their love of their city translated into a wonderful experience. We loved discovering the history of each place and getting insight into the hidden gems. Kimkim also made sure we got to experience the "high adventure" activities to break up the sight-seeing. Biking in Granada in the Sierra Nevada mountains was beautiful and hiking the caminito del Rey was amazing. Our hotels in each place were so beautiful and perfectly located to walk to anywhere we wanted to go. The outside living space in our hotel in Madrid was a perfect place to begin and end each day. Overall, one of our favorite family vacations and the stress of planning it was nearly zero because everyone at Kimkim did such an amazing job. We WILL be using them again.

Sigurður did a fantastic job in planning our 2-week trip! After communicating with him via kimkim site, he knew exactly what we wanted, including activities and accommodations. He designed a perfect itinerary for us. We loved all the accommodations (I am very picky with accommodations ). He nailed them to perfection even though we started planning our trip only 3 months prior. He was also easy to access during the trip when we needed his expertise, so it was a big plus for us. When Sigurður wasn't available on the phone, his colleague, Michele kindly and promptly assisted us. Furthermore, Sigurður contacted us one night around 11:00 pm telling us to go outside to see the northern lights. We were already in bed, but we got dressed and went outside, then we saw beautiful northern lights! He really went out of his way to make our trip extraordinarily special!! We couldn't thank him enough. Thanks to him, my daughter, a photographer, could see the northern lights on her 21st birthday and captured the beautiful image with her camera. Thank you, Sigurður! You are the best!!!

Samir was really helpful in arranging our holiday in Jordan. He helped us shape our itinerary to how we wanted our trip to be planned. He was happy to accommodate our suggested changes. He was responsive and kept us up to date with final booking confirmations, including sorting out the visas for a smooth holiday. We are also grateful for the driver we had for the week (Bassam, so thank you). He just made our time in Jordan pleasant and we had a brilliant time getting to know him and Jordan through his tips and insight. Thank you Samir again, we had a lovely time in your country Jordan and have no hesitation in recommending you.
Thank you
Satinder & Monish